The secret to a long-lasting mummy

If you want the mummy to not deform over time, experts will have to create a sterile environment, preventing the body's dehydration. Maintaining the body's natural shape requires large investments.

The Venezuelan government wants to embalm the test of President Hugo Chavez's corpse so that he can survive forever. If that idea is feasible, what kind of things will people have to do for a body to remain unchanged for generations?

Professor Sue Black, a researcher at Dundee University in the UK, thinks mummies can last forever if the body is well preserved.

'The body will decompose after about 10 years and you will see that it is not as original as it was , ' BBC quoted Black.

Corpse of President Mao Zedong, the founder of the country
People 'Republic of China.(Photo: yahoo.com)

The principle of mummification is like the principle of preserving food, Black stressed.'If you want to preserve a permanent corpse, you need to create a sterile environment , ' she said.

Experts will open blood vessels to remove blood, because blood can become a food source of bacteria. They must also pump a special solution into the blood vessels.

'You have to completely change the chemical composition of tissues and remove all bacteria so fungi and mold can't grow,' Black explained.

The corpse will be dipped in a mixture of alcohol, glycerol and formalin in the tank. Alcohol, glycerol prevents dehydration in the body, and formalin will kill all bacteria.

'With those frightening chemicals, the body will not decay,' Black said.

The professor revealed that sometimes people put pink color into formalin solution to create natural shades for the skin.

'If you want to display a long corpse, you will have to solve cosmetic problems outside your body. For example, you have to make up your face and wear a wig for your body, because real hair will fall off, ' she explained.

To maintain mummies in the best condition, people will have to invest a lot of money. Humidity and temperature in the surrounding environment must be carefully controlled.

'For example, if the alcohol content is too high, alcohol can evaporate and the body will shrink because of dehydration. So we have to maintain a moist environment around the body. However, water vapor facilitates the growth of fungi, mold and spores. In addition, some flies can live on embalming solutions. So you have to keep an eye on both the internal and external corpses' , she said.

Black speculated that, perhaps every 3-4 years, experts would have to reconsider Chavez's entire body.